Why Men Can't Access Their Feelings — And What It's Doing to Your Relationship | ft. Dr. Gloria Vanderhorst

Send us Fan MailHere's something nobody told you: boys come into the world with a broader range of emotional expression than girls do. And then we spend the next 18 years systematically shutting it down.In this episode of Between the Sheets with Dr. Z, Dr. Stephanie Zwonitzer, DNP sits down with Dr. Gloria Vanderhorst — psychotherapist with over 50 years of experience and author of Read, Reflect, Respond: The Three Rs of Growth and Change — for a conversation that reframes everything you thought you knew about men and emotions. Dr. Vanderhorst has spent decades working with boys from preschool through adulthood and has watched the same pattern play out: a child with a full emotional range gets shamed, shut down, and trained out of vulnerability. Then he grows up, gets married, and his partner wonders why he won't open up.The answer isn't that he can't. It's that we taught him not to.What you'll learn in this episode:Why boys are born more emotionally expressive than girls — and what happens to that capacity over timeHow shame and social conditioning box away emotions without erasing them — and why that means it's never too lateThe free feelings word list Dr. Vanderhorst swears by — and exactly where to put it in your house so it actually gets usedWhy women say they want emotionally available men, then unconsciously shut them down when they tryThe car, the dark room, and the bedtime cuddle — why side-by-side conversations unlock what face-to-face conversations can'tHow unexpressed emotion ends up stored in the body as physical pain and illnessWhy men's deepest friendships often involve zero emotional vulnerability — and what that costs themThe connection between emotional intelligence and problem-solving that most people never makeWhen to stop trying to fix it yourself and get outside help — and why earlier is always betterDr. Vanderhorst's free feelings word list and blog resources are available at drvandherhorst.com. Her book Read, Reflect, Respond is available on Amazon and at bookstores everywhere.📅 Hormonal shifts affecting mood, connection, or desire in your relationship? We can help. Book a consult at reviveish.comWork with Dr. [email protected] is sponsored by Boston Scientific and EDCure. For more information click here:www.EDCure.com/BTS Connect with Between the Sheets:IG: @ReviveISHEmail: [email protected]#podmatchWant to be a guest on Between the Sheets: Exploring Sexual Health & Wellness? Send Stephanie a message on PodMatch here: https://podmatch.com/hostdetailpreviews/btswithdrz