loader from loading.io

Friendship is the New Wellness: When Women Shine Together

Dear Family,

Release Date: 11/06/2025

Friendship is the New Wellness: When Women Shine Together show art Friendship is the New Wellness: When Women Shine Together

Dear Family,

What if the secret to feeling happier, healthier, and more fulfilled isn’t a new wellness trend- but true connection? What if it's friendship? In this inspiring episode of Dear Family, host Rachel Steinman reflects on three transformative experiences that occurred in one memorable week that left her feeling exhilarated, hopeful, and literally and figuratively connected. Everything she cares about- mental health, mindfulness, wellness, and friendship- all came together to prove what she always knew: friendship is the most powerful form of wellness. From Reese Witherspoon’s Shine Away...

info_outline
The Rachels- Why Friendship is the New Marriage and Golden for Mental Health show art The Rachels- Why Friendship is the New Marriage and Golden for Mental Health

Dear Family,

Rachel Winter and Rachel Steinman are best friends, co-authors, and co-hosts of this special collab between the with .    Rachel Winter is a writer, director, and an Academy Award®-nominated producer for Dallas Buyers Club. She produced LeBron James’ biopic, Shooting Stars, and produced and directed the audio drama, Supreme: The Battle for Roe starring Maya Hawke and William H. Macy. It’s a nine-part series weaving together the incredible story of the young female lawyer who argued Roe V. Wade in front of the Supreme Court and the Justice who wrote the opinion. She made her...

info_outline
My So-Called High School Rank- Documenting Teenage Loneliness and College Admission Pressures through a Musical show art My So-Called High School Rank- Documenting Teenage Loneliness and College Admission Pressures through a Musical

Dear Family,

My So-Called High School Rank, premiering on HBO and HBO MAX, is a special documentary that gives an unfiltered view into the private loneliness and pressures of teenage life. This was especially true in March 2020 when students were forced to settle into new realities, feeling isolated and frustrated with so much out of their control. This timely documentary chronicles the creation of a musical theater production at Granite Bay High School in Sacramento, California, and is inspired by students’ stories of the constant pressures to achieve a top rank in every part of their lives to get ahead...

info_outline
Kevin Hines- Golden Gate Bridge Suicide Jumper Saved by a Sea Lion Becomes Inspirational Storyteller and Filmmaker with Message of Hope and Resilience show art Kevin Hines- Golden Gate Bridge Suicide Jumper Saved by a Sea Lion Becomes Inspirational Storyteller and Filmmaker with Message of Hope and Resilience

Dear Family,

Kevin Hines is a storyteller, best-selling author, global public speaker, and award-winning documentary filmmaker. In the Year 2000, Kevin threw himself off the Golden Gate Bridge in an attempt to end his life. He needed his immense mental pain to end but regretted his decision the moment he jumped. Many factors contributed to his miraculous survival including a sea lion who kept him afloat until the Coast Guard arrived and an amazing team of doctors. Kevin now travels the world sharing his story of hope, healing, and recovery while teaching people of all ages the art of wellness and the...

info_outline
Dr. Ran Anbar- Pediatric Pulmonologist Addresses Health Challenges with Hypnosis show art Dr. Ran Anbar- Pediatric Pulmonologist Addresses Health Challenges with Hypnosis

Dear Family,

Dr. Ran Anbar is a pediatrician board certified in pulmonology who offers hypnosis and counseling services in La Jolla, California, and Syracuse, New York. He’s past president, fellow, and approved consultant of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. He’s here today to discuss the power of hypnosis, which has long been looked upon with confusion and skepticism. He shines a light on this underutilized field of medicine and why it should be the first line of defense before medication for mental health symptoms. With 25 years of experience, Dr. Anbar is a leader in clinical hypnosis who...

info_outline
The Dear Family, Wellness Graduate School- 100 Podcasts Later- 40 Wellness Universal Truths show art The Dear Family, Wellness Graduate School- 100 Podcasts Later- 40 Wellness Universal Truths

Dear Family,

Three years ago, I was nervous to put myself out so publicly with a brand new mental health podcast about family and secrets. I didn’t know where it would take me or if anyone would listen or even care. All I knew was I wanted to cut generational trauma from family mental illness, I had a story to tell, and I wanted to hear others’ stories. I never predicted a disruptive worldwide pandemic would shine a blinding spotlight on the priority of taking care of our families' wellness. 100 episodes later, I learned more than I ever could imagine in what I’m calling the Dear Family Wellness...

info_outline
Chris and Erik Ewers- Brothers/Co-Directors on Ken Burns Documentary about the Youth Public Mental Health Crisis show art Chris and Erik Ewers- Brothers/Co-Directors on Ken Burns Documentary about the Youth Public Mental Health Crisis

Dear Family,

Erik and Chris Ewers are brothers and co-directors on a new Ken Burns PBS documentary, “Hiding in Plain Sight.” The two-part, four-hour film is about the mental health crisis our youth are facing. It follows the journeys of more than 20 young Americans from all over the country and all walks of life. The first-person accounts show the seemingly insurmountable obstacles faced by those who live with mental disorders.    Erik Ewers, an Emmy Award-winning editor has worked with documentary filmmaker Ken Burns for more than 30 years, including nearly all of his single and...

info_outline
Julian Sarafian- Harvard Law-Educated TikToker Redefines Success After his Mental and Physical Breakdowns show art Julian Sarafian- Harvard Law-Educated TikToker Redefines Success After his Mental and Physical Breakdowns

Dear Family,

Julian Sarafian was valedictorian and attended UC Berkeley at 17. He got an internship at The White House at 19 and at 20, was accepted at NYU Law before transferring to Harvard Law School. His high achievements and California license allowed him to practice law at what he thought was his dream job, something he’d worked his entire life for. But his mental health had other plans.   His social anxiety and the intense stress from a high pressure work environment led to panic attacks and hyperventilating. His mental health also manifested into physical ailments, specifically...

info_outline
Tembi Locke- Food, Family, and Cooking From Scratch after Loss and Grief show art Tembi Locke- Food, Family, and Cooking From Scratch after Loss and Grief

Dear Family,

Tembi Locke is an actor, an author, a screenwriter, and a producer who really knows how to connect with her audience. Her New York Times bestselling book, From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home was Reese Witherspoon’s 2019 Book Club pick. Reese loved it so much, she’s executive producing the adaptation for a Netflix series where Zoe Saldana will star as Tembi.  Tembi’s memoir, From Scratch, is a sweeping, autobiographical romance that follows an American woman as she falls in love with a Sicilian man while studying abroad in Italy and then builds a life with him in...

info_outline
Dr. Jonathan Goldfinger- Nationally Recognized Pediatrician on the Need For and Right To Mental Health Care show art Dr. Jonathan Goldfinger- Nationally Recognized Pediatrician on the Need For and Right To Mental Health Care

Dear Family,

Dr. Jonathan Goldfinger is a nationally recognized pediatrician and an advocate for mental health services for children and families, including in minority and low-income communities. His inclusive approach to health equity and policy has transformed countless lives. He joined Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, an 80-year organization, as the CEO just months after the pandemic began in June 2020. Didi Hirsch is a national leader offering free mental health, substance use disorder, and suicide prevention services. They’re pioneers in specialized therapy and support groups for children,...

info_outline
 
More Episodes

What if the secret to feeling happier, healthier, and more fulfilled isn’t a new wellness trend- but true connection? What if it's friendship?

In this inspiring episode of Dear Family, host Rachel Steinman reflects on three transformative experiences that occurred in one memorable week that left her feeling exhilarated, hopeful, and literally and figuratively connected. Everything she cares about- mental health, mindfulness, wellness, and friendship- all came together to prove what she always knew: friendship is the most powerful form of wellness. From Reese Witherspoon’s Shine Away event in Los Angeles to hosting her first Friendship Table dinner circle, and leading a Lavender Craft Workshop at a women’s shelter on Skid Row, Rachel shares heartfelt lessons about the power of women coming together.

You’ll hear insights from thought leaders like Monica Lewinsky, Dr. Sara Kuburic, Candice Kumai, Malin Akerman, Joanne Lee Molinaro, Brittany Snow, Jennie Garth, Jen Hatmaker, and Tembi Locke, as well as personal stories about friendship as medicine for loneliness, mindfulness as daily nourishment, and joy as the ultimate connector.

Key Takeaways:

*Friendship isn’t just nice- it’s essential to mental, physical, relational, and emotional health.

*When women support women, we rise higher and shine brighter.

*Be open to possibilities! And have the audacity to dream!!!

*Talk to yourself differently. Be your own best friend and become your own passion project.

*Learn from other women. Our mothers and grandmothers weren’t always able to.

*Connection is the cure for loneliness.

*Joy, laughter, and creativity are forms of self-care and healing.

Whether you’re gathering with girlfriends, rebuilding after loss, or simply craving deeper connection, this episode will remind you that wellness begins with friendship- and that when women shine together, we light the way for one another. And to the men who support the women, thank you. Your allyship means more than you know- together, we all shine brighter.

Show Links:

Show Note Links:

*Read this blog on the Stay Forever Gold Website

*Read this blog on Stay Forever Gold @Medium

*Buy “Stay Golden Girls: Friendship is the New Marriage” on Amazon

*Buy “Stay Golden Girls: Friendship is the New Marriage” on Etsy

*Dear Family, Podcast Page

*Write Now Rachel Website

*Stay Forever Gold Website

*Rachel’s Blog @Medium

*Rachel’s Twitter

*Write Now Rachel on Facebook

*Stay Forever Gold on Facebook

*Write Now Rachel on Instagram

*Stay Forever Gold on Instagram

*NAMI West LA

*Girls Inc.

*Tembi Locke on the Dear Family, Podcast

PLEASE JOIN:

*Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group

WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST:

*PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe!

Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.